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Was Jesus tax exempt?

Mat 17:22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. :23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief. :24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" :25 "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes--from their own sons or from others?" :26 "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him.

:27 "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

Jesus declares to his disciples that he will be betrayed and that he will be killed.

In the Gospel of Mark it is stated that they did not understand, but were afraid to inquire any further. They did not understand the meaning of that which was about to happen and the meaning for humankind.

When they arrived in Capernaum (Galilee) it will be Jesus’ last visit to His own city.

Jesus was absent when tax collectors approached Peter and asked him if Jesus was paying the temple tax. Every Israelite over the age of 20 was required to pay such temple tax (Ex. 30:13,14; II Chron. 24:6; Neh. 10:32; II Kings 12:4) and it was instituted immediately after the exile of Israel. In today’s currency one drachma was about 40 cents. About a day’s wage for the common Israelite. The tax was collected on the 15 day of Adar / March

The tax was often paid in two-drachma, which is a Greek currency, and the tax collectors made a "little" money to convert the currency into the Jewish Shekel.

So why do the collectors ask Jesus this question? First of all priest did not pay the tax and Rabbis argued about the validity of their claim to be exempt. Some claimed they should not pay while others argued that they should have at least the opportunity to pay.

Peter answers the question with "Yes". The collectors were really not interested if the taxes were paid, but what Jesus thought of the tax, because He often had a different interpretation of the customs and the understanding of the law. In fact Jesus had not paid the tax, probably because He had been absent for almost two years. . .the question here was if Jesus paid the temple tax which was used for the maintenance of the sanctuary.

As Peter goes to the place Jesus was, Jesus speaks first! He had full knowledge of the conversation that just took place. Peter must have been surprised that Jesus already knew.

When Jesus answers he makes it clear that the kings do not collect from their own family, but from outsiders. . .those who do not belong to their immediate family. And with that the sons are exempt.

Jesus paints quite different picture here. Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man earlier in the conversation and explains that He is God, but fully human. With this phrase he references his upcoming incarnation and with it the forgiveness of sins.

Mat 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Mat 26:64 "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

So, what does this mean in this conversation? If Jesus is the son of God would He not be exempt from the temple tax. Would not be all people who worship be exempt from paying the tax?

Would Jesus not be tax exempt?

Well, what do you think?

First of all lets look at us. Let us look at the system of taxation on us for the temple. We do not have any!

When you are a member of a church in Germany you are automatically taxed a certain percentage of your income and the tax goes to the churches where you belong.

Many people disagree with that system, because they believe the church has no right to mandate a certain percentage.

And many of them leave the church just for that reason. I personally think that is a very selfish reason. Because when someone dies and he or she was not a member of a church many pastors will do the funeral, but they are doing it in a very different way: They bury the person first and then hold the funeral. And because of this procedure everyone will know that the person who died was not a member of a church.

Imagine, just for a second that Jesus had not paid the tax. What would have been the implications? If Jesus does not pay, why do I have to pay?

Let us look at us: What is it anyway with the percentage we should give as our offering? Why would it be ten percent? Is it from our net income, gross income, after expenses, before expenses, only the times when I attend or should I make up for the times I do not attend?. . .what is the deal?

It all comes down to a single common denominator: Both the temple tax and the tithing are commandments from God.

God is asking us to give to Him for His glory. There is no exemption status. Jesus makes it clear that He although He is the God in human form, He pays in order not to tempt others not to pay.

Every action will have a reaction. Giving matters! It matters what we will give to our God. And others are watching. Your children are watching you. They know best how much you give. And they will follow. A commandment of God is a commandment.

The temple tax was not created by human regulation, but by divine commandment. Tithing was not created by human regulation, but by divine commandments.

If Jesus would have not paid the temple tax it would have been interpreted as if they denounced the temple, what the temple stood for and they would have denounced the law and commandments of God.

And then he asks Peter to get the tax. He asks him to go fish and he promises him that the first fish he will catch will have a four-drachma coin in his mouth.

There are two important things in this last sentence of the verse: "Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

We should not be worried that we may not have the money to give in order to follow God’s commandment. The reason that Peter finds the money in a fish is a miracle. The act is not of this world. God will provide!

Secondly: The fish contained to pay the taxes for both: Jesus and Peter. Why? Because it implies that we are of the kinship of Jesus. We are the sons of the king.